T20 World Cup champions India are set to face Ireland in two T20Is in the month of June. The matches are scheduled to be played on June 26 and 28 at Stormont
(Belfast). Cricket Ireland officially announced the schedule on Friday, March 20.
The two matches are sandwiched between the mixed home series against Afghanistan and the away white-ball tour of England.
According to Cricbuzz, the players, coaches and other support staff were hinted about the short trip to Ireland during recent BCCI awards night in Delhi. This is going to be the first international assignment for Suryakumar Yadav's side, following their World Cup triumph earlier this month. The players are now busy training with their respective franchises ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The BCCI has already announced that India are set to face Afghanistan till June 20 when the last of the four home matches (one Test and three ODIs) will be played. They will play their first of the five T20Is and three ODIs against England in Chester-le-Street on July 1 which means the team will have to reach England at least three-four days ahead of that fixture.
Usually India have played three matches whenever they've visited Ireland in recent years (2018, 2022 and 2023) but finding a window has been an issue. Ireland Cricket and the BCCI have had deliberations for quite some time, looking to squeeze in the two games between the Afghanistan and the England series.
The BCCI is trying to come up with a few new series in addition to the confirmed ones in England, the UAE, Bangladesh, Japan (for the Asian Games).
What is the head-to-head record between India and Ireland in T20Is?
India and Ireland have played each other on eight occasions in the shortest format. The Men in Blue have maintained a clean slate against the European side, winning all eight matches. However, there have been some close games where Ireland would consider themselves unlucky not to end up on the winning side.
On previous tours, India have sent young teams to play in Ireland. A similar scenario might be seen this time around as well. Players who can impress during IPL 2026 might get the chance to board the trip to Ireland.
